Iraqi gunshot survivor cured after 17 years

BANGALORE: Seventeen years after he received a bullet wound on his head, 19-year-old Bavel Fatih Mohammed received a ray of hope as BGS hospitals performed a complex brain surgery called deep brain stimulation (DBS) to cure him of his symptoms of dystonia. Dystonia is a diverse movement disorder which leads to abnormal, involuntary muscle contractions which can cause abnormal postures or constant pain for the sufferer. It can be caused by strokes, brain infections, drug abuse, trauma, and as in Bavel’s case, a bullet on the head. Bavel was hospitalised for two years after he was shot and was comatose for seven months. Later he was not able to walk straight or retain control of his eyes and right hand. “The surgery involved implanting an electrode which consists of a platinum-iridium wire coated with polyurethane of 1.2mm thickness,” said Dr. L K Prashanth who operated Bavel. “The surgery was minimally invasive, lasted 8 hours and is reversible and programmable,” he added explaining the benefits of DBS. Explaining the challenges faced in Bavel’s case, Chief Neurosurgeon at BGS Dr N K Venkataramana said that the major problem faced by the team was the fact that the operation was performed 17 years after the bullet damaged Bavel’s brain. He explained a system of zeroing down on the exact spot of insertion by using a stereotactic frame which draws a coordinate system for the neurosurgeon using a combination of MRI and CAT scans.Bavel is expected to recover by 90 per cent over time as the programming of the electrode is perfected. He expressed his gratitude to the team of surgeons. He was present at the press conference with his mother and younger brother. Both of them were overcome with joy to see Bavel walking again. He comes from the province of As-Sulamaniyah in Northern Iraq and both his parents are teachers.